GET OUT OF

YOUR OWN WAY

The Five Keys to Surpassing
Everyone’s Expectations
ROBERT COOPER

ROBERT COOPER is a leadership advisor who specializes in the neuroscience of optimal performance. For
the past thirty years, Dr. Cooper has analyzed how some individuals and teams achieve what others consider
to be impossible. He has personally advised rising stars in many organizations on his performance principles.
Dr. Cooper has lectured at the Stanford Business School, Stanford Executive Program, Management Centre
Europe, Ruling Companies Association (Milan Italy), and The Leadership Trust (U.K.). He is the author of The
Other 90%: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential for Leadership and Life.
Dr. Cooper’s personal Web site is at www.robertkcooper.com.
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 1

MAIN IDEA
The biggest barrier to accomplishing your dreams is never external. Instead the biggest barrier is always internal – how your mind
works and operates. To accomplish more, you’ve got to train your brain to think differently. If you can do that, you in effect get out of
your own way so you can move forward to greater personal success.
Your brain doesn’t even realize it stands in the way of achieving more. It has evolved through different eras when survival was the
greatest challenge facing the human race. For that reason, the brain defends established habits, encourages you to stick to a routine,
keeps you from taking risks and prefers the known to trying new things. All of these patterns are helpful when playing it safe was an
imperative but they are far less productive in the modern era.
To get your brain working for you instead of against you, you have to make five somewhat counterintuitive choices:

1 DIRECTION – not Motion

The five keys to getting 2 FOCUS – not Time

out of your own way so
3 CAPACITY – not Conformity
you can surpass
everyone’s expectations
4 ENERGY – not Effort

5 IMPACT – not Intentions

Instead of endlessly trying harder to do the same things over and over, it’s time to try doing something different. Once you do that, you
may even find what everyone else thinks is impossible really is not. It just requires your combination of skills and talents.

The Five Keys to Surpassing Everyone’s Expectations

How busy you are isn’t really important. What counts more is
how effectively you’re moving in a productive direction.
• “Good” and “great” are the enemies of “possible”. Pages 2 - 3
1 DIRECTION – not Motion
• Whatever you guide always grows.
• Whatever you automate always accelerates.
• Make the most of unexpected twists and turns.

Planning your time is good but it’s better to pay attention to

what matters, whether it’s planned or unexpected.
2 FOCUS – not Time • Emphasize the right moment, not the clock. Pages 3 - 4
• What you frame accurately will engage your attention.
• Clarifying always unlocks your creative powers.
• Race your own race in tandem with others.

Copying others is helpful, but your biggest gains will come

when you boldly unlock your hidden potential and apply it.
3 CAPACITY – not Conformity • Use your brain, your heart, your gut and your spine. Pages 5 - 6
• Remember whatever you demonstrate becomes real.
• Awaken your inner genius and fix fewer problems.
• Harness constructive discontent to drive growth.

It’s not really how hard you work that counts. What matters
is how effortlessly you get the right things done.
4 ENERGY – not Effort • Learn how to excel under pressure. Pages 6 - 7
• Streamline so you can focus on what adds most value.
• Make a leap forward by doing nothing at times.
• Be prepared to stay hungry and foolish

Intentions are fine but in the final analysis, what counts is the
measurable difference you make in living your values.
IMPACT – not Intentions • Learn how to make change stick. Page 8
5
• Always remember whatever you measure counts.
• Always stay close to your soul.
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 2

The 5 Keys 1 DIRECTION – not Motion “Good” and “great” are the enemies of “possible”.

How busy you are isn’t really important. What counts more is how What people say is impossible is just an opinion, not a fact. There
effectively you’re moving in a productive direction. are far too many examples in history of people doing what
conventional wisdom dictated was impossible to ever believe
anyone can definitively say something is impossible.
The human brain primarily likes to run on preprogrammed habits
and routines. When people are required to adapt to change, the To keep yourself consistently moving forward instead of settling
brain struggles and even resists. To consistently bring out your for second-best:
personal best performance, you need to get into the habit of ■ Don’t settle for what others label as “good” or “great” but
engaging the part of your brain which is good at envisaging the consider all the possibilities you can achieve as a result of
future – your forebrain. your own unique set of talents and passions.
To engage your forebrain: ■ Instead of simply trying to get across the finish line ahead of
■ Choose a few moments where you can regularly visualize others, focus on going beyond the best you have ever given
where you need to be heading rather than dealing with the and find out what you’re genuinely capable of producing. It will
requirements and demands of the present time. always be more than you realize.
■ In those moments, visualize as clearly and vividly as possibly ■ Forget entirely what the “experts” say. History is full of
the best future you can imagine. examples of people who did what others couldn’t imagine.
■ Next think through the clearest and most direct path which will ■ Whenever you’re faced with a decision, pause and ask
take you to that enticing future. yourself: “Will this choice propel me toward the outer edges of
what’s possible, or will it instead keep me repeating what’s
■ Consider all your unique abilities and passions and think
good or defending what’s great”?
about how these attributes can be harnessed to move
forward. ■ Always look for open spaces in everything you do – room
where you can move beyond what everyone else is already
■ Once you’ve thought things through, go to work on making
doing on to areas where you can bring all your talents and
that dream become a reality.
passions to bear. Create some open-space opportunities to
If you can manage the direction in which you’re heading and then do your very best work.
get into motion, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly the
world will owe you an apology for doubting what you can achieve. Whatever you guide always grows.
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to If you can make your open-space goals clear and electrifying,
venture a little way past them into the impossible.” then moment by moment your brain will just naturally move these
– Arthur C. Clarke dreams front and center. You will then find yourself propelled
“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday forward with momentum rather than bogged down in doing the
is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” same old things day after day. To do this, however, you have to
– Robert H. Goddard guide your thinking a little. Unless you deliberately and
consciously intervene in the way your mind works, your
“Achieving what others think you can’t is largely a matter of open-space dreams will get crowded out by what’s mundane.
getting out of your own way, of choosing to shut off the motion for To start guiding your thoughts more proactively:
a while and permitting your brain to offer direction instead, and
then building in that direction.” ■ Be unrealistic. Envision a bright future others will readily
– Robert Cooper ridicule as a collection of worthless dreams.
■ Look well into the future – a hundred years or more is fine.
“We must not be afraid of dreaming the seemingly impossible if Don’t limit your thinking to match your anticipated lifespan.
we want the seemingly impossible to become reality.” When you commit to a long time horizon, you have a
– Vaclav Havel completely different outlook to those who are obsessed with
“Always we tend to equate ‘the limit’ with the limits of what’s the here and now.
possible, but it never is. If you could look at limits in a creative ■ Keep reminding yourself how often yesterday’s “miracles”
way, the limit would always be the invitation to the beyond that become today’s commonplace realities. There are literally
you don’t know yet.” hundreds of examples everywhere you care to look. Insist on
– John O’Donohue finding out for yourself what works and what doesn’t rather
than accepting the status quo all the time.
“Deep within us dwell slumbering powers; powers that would
■ Make your goals open rather than fixed so new pieces can be
astonish us, that we never dreamed of possessing; forces that
grafted in as you move forward. Adaptability and alertness are
would revolutionize our lives if aroused and put into action.”
two highly valued traits in this regard.
– Orison Marden
■ Keep things simple. Follow some very basic steps:
“Over the course of three decades of research, teaching, and • Come up with a compelling and engaging open-space goal.
hands on work with leaders and organizations around the world, I • Try and envisage how to get there from where you are now.
have sought the best tools and strategies to help you make the • Look for smart and effective ways to compress the timeline.
best choices in the midst of life’s roar.” • Get going on moving in the right direction.
– Robert Cooper • Dare to achieve what everyone else thinks is impossible.
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Whatever you automate always accelerates. The 5 Keys 2 FOCUS – not Time

Daily actions create momentum towards achieving open-space Planning your time is good but it’s better to pay attention to what
goals. With this in mind, it’s helpful to set up some cues which will matters, whether it’s planned or unexpected.
arise each day and which will trigger you to do something
concrete towards achieving your goals. This is far better than The human brain loves fussing over unimportant details. It likes
doing the same old things but hoping for a better outcome. By nothing better than for you to spend every day mastering the
setting up some automatic drivers, you can increase the amount minutiae of your life, arranging everything neatly in a daily
of time you dedicate to achieving your open-space goals. planner complete with lists that get checked off progressively
Some good automatic cues and reminders are: throughout the day. That’s fine but when this kind of approach to
■ Post your open-space targets somewhere where you will see time management is taken to its fullest possible extent, you can
them all the time. Keep asking yourself what have you done get so busy doing routine things you completely miss out on the
today which moves you towards these goals? opportunity to do something spectacular, especially if that
opportunity is unexpected or unplanned.
■ Set up an alarm clock to go off at a set time each day and then
promise yourself you’ll spend a set number of minutes The brain loves being a timekeeper. It thrives on reminding you
working on your goals when the alarm rings. what you are supposed to be doing right now according to your
schedule. The brain also enjoys posing hypothetical questions
■ Take a physical action which gets you in motion – like putting
and then carefully mulling over them for hours on end. The
on a pair of gloves to signal you’re now working on a goal.
problem with this is while you’re mulling over past experiences or
■ Set a deadline by which you promise to achieve something missed opportunities, you become less likely to notice all of the
concrete and helpful towards your target. future possibilities which are passing within your reach all the
■ Send yourself an e-mail to arrive at a set time each day which time. Left unchecked, the natural tendency of your brain is to
will serve as a reminder to get to work. keep you unchanged.
■ Have a buddy come by and ask you to do something To offset this, you need to learn how to override this inbuilt
constructive. warning against trying something new. In particular, you have to
train yourself to follow different patterns:
The whole point of these automatic drivers is by embedding them
into your daily routine, you can keep reminding yourself you need ■ To see the context of your life and how all the various pieces
to spend time working towards your open-space goals. As you do will fit together.
this, you’ll start moving forward steadily and with impressive ■ To see new opportunities clearly and concisely.
results.
■ To view these new opportunities as open-space possibilities
Make the most of unexpected twists and turns. rather than closed-space threats and dangers.
■ To see what could lie in the future rather than endlessly
Things always change. Unexpected events, challenges and defending what happened in the past.
options will constantly crop up. If you’re smart, you’ll see these as
“All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I see I should have
opportunities to move forward in unexpected ways rather than as
been more specific.”
distractions from what you most want to achieve. This will only
– Lily Tomlin
happen if you’re adaptable rather than fixed on set rules and
procedures. “The things which matter the most should never be at the mercy
To increase your personal adaptability, there are some simple of things that matter least.”
and practical things you can try: – Goethe
■ Identify the path you most prefer, and then take a different one “A great many people think they are thinking when they are
and see where that leads. With any luck, your detour may take merely rearranging their prejudices.”
you off in an interesting new direction with a fresh set of – William James
possibilities. If that does not happen, you can always head
back to where you started. “The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.”
■ Keep in mind small changes can eventually add up to big – Richard Bach
impacts so be curious and attentive whenever something “Time is the stream I go fishing in.”
different becomes available. – Thoreau
■ Be prepared to break the conventional rules now and then and
see whether some better options aren’t already lurking in the “We lack peace because we are not whole. And we are not whole
background unnoticed. because we have known so few of the vital relationships we
might have.”
■ Try and take one of your habits every week and do something – D.H. Lawrence
different. Explore your options more fully. When you test new
things and have novel experiences, you’ll find you end up “Just going along is stifling, settling for less than your biggest
becoming far more adaptable and flexible. You’ll also dreams is draining, and furiously treading water to stay in the
increase your self-confidence appreciably. same place is soul destroying. Trying harder is a prescription for
■ Look for things you can let go to create more room to live and disappointment and dissatisfaction; it’s trying differently that
breathe. Remind yourself about the importance of having fun changes everything.”
as often as you need. – Robert Cooper
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Emphasize the right moment, not the clock. Clarifying always unlocks your creative powers.

Your powers of attention need to be actively guided. Otherwise, It’s all too easy for the voluminous thoughts of the mind to cloud
your mind will automatically run around in circles for the majority what really matters. To cut through all this mental clutter and
of the time worrying about problems that may or may not confusion, work hard at being clear and concise about what
eventuate. You have to concentrate on making the most out of needs to be done. Doing this always helps you to think more
each and every moment rather than letting events unfold on their expressively and clearly. The clearer you can be about what you
own momentum. want to accomplish, the easier it becomes to generate original
To make certain you’re really focusing on living each moment thoughts.
rather than merely attempting to run down the clock: To be very clear about what’s required:
■ Let go of worrying about the clock and try instead to seize the ■ Avoid ambiguity and cut to the chase.
moment whenever a new and interesting opportunity ■ Be very blunt and forthright in every e-mail you generate or
presents itself. Be true to your passions. every written note you keep.
■ Keep on asking yourself two questions over and over: ■ Make use of bullet lists of the top five priorities to be followed
• “What do I want above all other options”? through on or to be discussed at your next meeting.
• “What am I doing right now to make that happen”?
■ Add some gestures to what you’re saying. This generally
■ Plan some defining moments – blocks of time where you will helps you become more expressive.
set aside your routine tasks and focus intensively on
something creative which is aligned with your passions. ■ Always think in terms of dropping someone a quick note rather
than waiting until you can draft a long reply.
■ Pick up on the defining moments which appear unexpectedly
and put aside trivial matters for a while to get something ■ Begin all your written message with genuine expressions.
impressive achieved. Ask: “How can I seize this chance to Also try and provide a context which will make sense to the
become more of the person I want to be?” reader. If you explain why you need to be succinct, they will
appreciate the gesture rather than being offended by the lack
■ Periodically, take a third-person view of yourself – look at what of additional material.
you’re doing from the outside and grade yourself on how
effective you are at differentiating between what matters most Race your own race in tandem with others.
and what does not.
Paradoxically genius normally comes to the fore when people
What you frame accurately will engage your attention. work in tandem rather than in isolation. Why is this? Most likely
the presence of another person enriches your thinking. If the
In simplified terms, the human brain responds to the flow of other person is someone you respect highly or share a deep
neurochemicals. When you focus on something deliberately, emotional connection with, then the likelihood you’ll be able to do
you’re actually making chemicals flow to that part of the brain some high quality thinking when you’re with them increases.
which handles that type of thinking. These neurochemicals go
To collaborate effectively with others:
exactly where you send them. You can control where these
chemicals go by asking probing questions which engage the ■ Earn the right to ask others to work with you by first ensuring
brain and get it thinking productively rather than mulling over real you’re doing all you can personally to perform at your best
or imagined fears. possible level. Be able and willing to contribute the best you
To ask the kinds of questions which will keep you heading in a have available.
productive direction: ■ Know the strengths and potential weaknesses of your allies in
■ Share your dreams and aspirations with others who want you advance. Tap into the right people at the most opportune
to succeed. Articulating what you really want fires up the brain times to speed your own progress and to help their journey
centers which are closely linked to goal attainment. towards their goals at the same time.

■ Worry primarily about what you want to achieve and don’t ■ Look for outcomes which are obviously and clearly mutually
waste time worrying about what others are thinking. beneficial.

■ Forget multitasking. Concentrate on doing what needs to be ■ Try and introduce a little bit of novelty, ingenuity and fun into
done right now as effectively as possible. what you’re trying to accomplish. People really enjoy being
placed in these types of situations rather than always being
■ Create a block of time each day where you can focus on obsessed with win-at-all-costs.
what’s important without any interruptions or distractions. Try
to do one thing exceptionally well during that period. ■ Build a network of people you’d love to work with well in
advance of when you have something to do. Link up with
■ Give your brain a break whenever you’ve been concentrating people you enjoy being associated with.
for an extended period. Then come back at your tasks afresh.
■ Have a deep appreciation for what traits you bring to the
■ Leave some room in your schedule for “doing nothing”. This is partnership and what character attributes others are
when some of your best thoughts will bubble to the surface. contributing. To do this, you’ll need to take the time to clarify
■ If you make a mistake, pause, shift gears and then have what your persona l strengths , v alues , passions,
another go. Don’t worry about your mistake but look forward competencies and preferences are. If you can then learn the
with confidence. corresponding set of attributes for those you want to work
■ Carry a small notebook and jot down the thoughts that come with, you’ll be in a position to build great team spirit. This is the
to you. You’ll worry less that way. breeding ground for exceptional performances.
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 5

The 5 Keys 3 CAPACITY – not Conformity Use your brain, your heart, your gut and your spine.

Copying others is helpful, but your biggest gains will come when Not all your thinking goes on in your brain. You will also get
you boldly unlock your hidden potential and apply it. signals and hints from:
■ Your gut – which will try to communicate with you through your
The human mind has very strong survival instincts honed by instincts and feelings.
eons of development. For that reason, it enshrines conformity as ■ Your heart – which will also try and shape your decisions by
good because that is safe. If everyone else is doing the same generating different feelings or impressions.
things, then you must be doing alright. That’s fine in most areas ■ Your spine – which will help you feel good about standing tall
of life, but your brain also knows there are some very specific and looking the world in the eye.
areas where you have abilities and competencies nobody else in
the world possesses in equal measure. To make your dreams All of these body parts combine with the brain to make decisions.
become a reality, you need to tap into those capacities which are They are not infallible, even when they collaborate together
normally kept hidden. closely, but if you take on board the signals and hints coming
from all four areas rather than relying on logic alone, chances are
To access these hidden capacities, you have to tune in to the you’ll make consistently better decisions.
best your brain has to offer. Simultaneously, you also need to
tune out the harsh and punishing static which also exists. If you With this in mind, whenever you’re faced with a key decision,
can do this, disappointments and frustrations will become pause for a moment and ponder what these various body parts
stepping stones to achieving what everyone else considers to be are trying to tell you. Ask yourself:
impossible. The key to turning your own extraordinary ideas into • “What are my instincts saying about this decision”?
successful action is to find ways to collaborate with yourself • “What does my deeper experience have to say”?
constructively. This requires that you use your mind to its fullest • “Are there any gaps in the information I have”?
capacity rather than slipping into a pattern of mindlessly copying • “Are there any hidden breakthroughs I can apply here”?
what everyone else is doing. • “What’s next? How can I use this to achieve more”?
In short, value your feelings and intuition, even when you can’t
“The most amazing powers to change our lives and the world are put everything into words which could be explained to anyone
waiting just beneath the surface of our daily habits, if only we else. Stay adaptable so you can respond as circumstances
could see these hidden powers, awaken them, and put them into change. But most of all, don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis.
action.” Pause certainly to check what your instincts say but then get into
– Orison Marden action. More often than not, a less-than-ideal solution will still
generate significant results if it is swiftly and expertly executed
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
whereas if you do nothing at all, very little good can result.
Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of
other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions Remember whatever you demonstrate becomes real.
drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the
courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow
Feedback is a well known entity in the physical world. To achieve
already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is
something great, you need to practice “feedforward” – meaning
secondary.”
you need to invest in looking forward and invest in making that
– Steve Jobs
brighter future come to life.
“We are not merely buffeted by circumstances like stones rolling To keep yourself moving forward towards your open-space goals
downhill. We must act and make choices. And every choice we with increasing levels of clarity and self-belief:
make is deeply personal, arising as a fabric of interlocked ■ Make very certain you’re chasing your own dreams and not
influences, desires, and talents that constitute the meaning of those imposed on you by someone else.
everything we do.”
– Walter Freeman ■ Always override your first impulses by reminding yourself
what your long-term goals are. Let these goals color and
“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.” influence your every day actions.
– Woodrow Wilson ■ Increase your self-esteem by picking something others say
“The best games are not those in which all goes smoothly to can’t be done and doing that thing immediately. Don’t wait for
conclusion, but those in which the outcome is always in doubt. an invitation to demonstrate your capabilities beyond doubt.
The geometry of life is designed to keep us on the crux between ■ Take onboard suggestions from others and put them to work
certainty and uncertainty, order and chaos.” right away. Embed the things you learn into the actions you
– George Leonard take so over time, you get progressively better rather than
more stuck in your ways.
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is
■ Generate your own good luck by embracing new experiences
translated through you into action, and because there is only one
and being willing to change your routine. Try and change at
of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it
least one of your routines each day as you learn more.
will never exist through any other medium and be lost. It is not
your business to determine how good, nor how valuable, nor how ■ Aggressively and passionately go after some open-space
it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it opportunities which lie right in front of you.
yours, clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.” ■ Look at any adversities which come into your life as a
– Martha Graham challenge and a tool to learn more.
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 6

Awaken your inner genius and fix fewer problems. The 5 Keys 4 ENERGY – not Effort

The cardinal rule of nervous systems is whatever you choose to It’s not really how hard you work that counts. What matters is how
emphasize always grows stronger while whatever gets ignored effortlessly you get the right things done.
automatically weakens. With this in mind, if you stay mired in
fixing problems all the time, all you’ll see are more problems in The human brain loves busyness. It is happiest when it is
the future. A better approach is to work hard at awakening the exhorting you to work harder and to keep your nose figuratively
inner genius in yourself and in the others on your team. closer to the grindstone. That’s all well and good, but there is a
Some practical ways to actually do this are: better way. The energy generated by some inspired thinking can
■ Forget your predictions and labels, and let everyone be be much more productive than relying alone on what can be
unique. Don’t label anyone but look at what they contribute for achieved by brute-force effort.
the seeds of future greatness. Trying to work harder instead of smarter is tiring and depressing.
■ Relentlessly feedforward. Treat others how you want them to Persistence is applauded within society at large. Unfortunately,
be in the future, not on the basis of how they have been. this usually means expending more effort on old ways of doing
things in the hope a different outcome might arise. That’s dumb.
■ Find ways to compliment people more frequently, at least
It’s much better to put more energy into the key places which can
once every fourteen days. Use small surprises to enrich their
generate different outcomes. At least that way you won’t be so
interactions with you.
mentally or physically fatigued that you’re unable to recognize a
■ Step outside your comfort zone and avoid the well established breakthrough when it arises.
brain ruts. Do new and original things all the time.
“The exceptional life depends not on working harder, but on
■ Create teams where individualism is recognized and
different, even opposite, actions from habit and the crowd.”
applauded rather than trying to get everyone seated on the
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
same old bus.
■ Find out whether anything you’re doing intentionally or “Many of us like to act as though we can predict the future and
otherwise stops others from doing their best work. influence its course through our vision and action. But the truth
■ Live transparently. Honor your promises, take responsibility is, while you can set out on an innovative course for the future,
for your actions and be accountable for your choices. you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You have to adapt.”
– Robert Cooper
Harness constructive discontent to drive growth.
“The art of being wise is knowing when to step aside and what to
overlook.”
A little bit of constructive discontent is useful in extracting your – William James
best personal performance. This is an inner conviction there
must be a better way to get something done and challenging “If you insist on leaving your fate to the gods, then the gods will
yourself to keep working on the problem until you uncover a repay your weakness by having a grin or two at your expense.
superior approach. It means refusing to accept the group Should you fail to pilot your own ship, don’t be surprised at what
thinking and being willing to go against conventional wisdom inappropriate port you find yourself docked in. To achieve the
when the situation demands it. marvelous, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought.”
To foster a spirit of constructive discontent: – Tom Robbins
■ Always keep your options open as long as possible so some “My father always told me that the greatest thing a man can do in
breakthrough thinking can materialize. this world is to make the most possible out of the stuff that has
■ Be willing to admit it when you don’t know things, but commit been given him. This is success, and there is no other.”
to discovering an answer. – Orison Marden
■ Build the story of your life around the idea of conquering “To be nobody but yourself when the world is trying its best night
challenges rather than resting endlessly on a tropical island. and day to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle
■ In any group setting, always choose honesty over harmony. any human being will fight.”
Insist on being the person who loves to state how things are – E.E. Cummings
rather than go along with those who are blinded by the way
“To be ultimately at peace, a person must keep becoming all that
they wish things were.
he can potentially become.”
■ Be direct. Always speak bluntly and unambiguously. Let – Abraham Maslow
people know what you’re thinking without any shadow of a
doubt. People may not agree with you all the time but they will “We make a living from what we get. We make a life from what we
appreciate your candor and directness. give.”
■ Be specific and always have the intention of building forward. – Winston Churchill
Don’t dwell over apportioning blame for past mistakes. It’s a “We shall not cease from exploration
waste of time. Instead, focus on how exactly what a person And the end of all our exploring
has done will help you move towards a worthy goal. Get to be Will be to arrive where we started
known as an enabler rather than merely acting as an auditor of And know the place for the first time.”
what went before. – T.S. Eliot
■ Find different ways to do everything and see where that leads.
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 7

Learn how to excel under pressure. Make a leap forward by doing nothing at times.

This is a highly valued trait because modern society generates Everyone is busy trying to maximize their productivity.
oodles of pressure situations. If you can deliver your very finest Therefore, it’s refreshing to have a little downtime now and then
efforts when the stakes are high and when failure will be obvious where you can sit back, relax and think about nothing at all. It
to all and sundry, you can make impressive leaps forward. may sound somewhat counterintuitive but sometimes, the best
To condition your brain to stay calm and think clearly: way to move forward is to inject some short breaks into your
schedule where you don’t do anything much at all.
■ Do the opposite of what people normally do – loosen up, get in
the flow and extend your senses rather than battening down To create some space to breathe and reflection time:
the hatches. ■ Pick some key times every day where you can schedule a few
■ Toughen up mentally by regularly putting yourself under minutes to unwind. Then make certain you take those breaks.
pressure to deliver consistently high-quality results. Step back, disengage from the pressures of the moment and
do something completely different.
■ Aim your full attention forward and let go of the mistakes of the
past as ancient history. ■ Decide which of the issues occupying your mind are of no real
consequence and commit to stop misdirecting your mental
■ Welcome some ambiguity rather than insisting everything
energy into thinking about these things.
always needs to be neat and tidy.
■ Allow things to come to you a little more rather than actively
■ Focus on what you most want from the situation at hand, not
going out and searching for problems to solve.
on everything that can possibly go wrong. Engage your brain
in dwelling on all the positives which can arise. ■ Inject some balance into your life by scheduling regular
aerobic exercise sessions.
■ Try stretching your strengths. Extend yourself into a new area
and allocate your energy towards making a difference. Set ■ Try taking some short naps in your office if at all possible.
some higher-than-expected targets and then think hard about These don’t have to be long, just a few minutes is fine. See
how to achieve those targets. Be up for a challenge rather whether doing this increases your overall energy level.
than stressed out by everything it entails. ■ Buy a wristwatch heart rate monitor and practice relaxing
■ Make the unexpected your ally. Make the best of your more. Take note of which activities have a calming effect and
circumstances, adapt as you try and move forward and which get you revved up even more. Then do more of what
respond to all the twists that come your way. Use the situation relaxes you at regular intervals during each day.
at hand to find a better way to achieve your dreams.
Be prepared to stay hungry and foolish.
Streamline so you can focus on what adds most value.
“To stay hungry and foolish” was the motto of the first Whole
Clutter can consume loads of energy which really should be Earth Catalog published in 1968. In many ways, this
directed at more productive aims. If you streamline what you do encapsulates a great philosophy for living life. If you are “hungry”
each day, you reduce the friction which robs your personal and “foolish” you don’t waste time or energy on someone else’s
productivity. Sometimes this is as simple as saying yes to less, goals. Nor do you feel the need live by someone else’s rules or
while at other times a much more concerted effort is needed. opinions. You listen to your own heart, follow your own intuition
and dare to do at least a few things exceptionally well.
To make some small adjustments which can greatly enhance
your speed towards what matters most: Richard Branson epitomizes the ideal of someone who is both
hungry and foolish. He always believes passionately his next
■ Observe your thinking patterns – and consciously increase idea will be the best ever. He has founded more than 350
the amount of time you spend thinking about the future. companies which combined generate over $9 billion in annual
■ Allocate past mistakes to the record and concentrate on doing sales on the strength of his ideas. Branson states the reason he
something great in the present which lays the foundation for a has come up with so many business ideas is the fact he has no
great future. regular time commitments and therefore can spend time hanging
■ Get physically active for a short break so then you can come out and thinking about what to try next.
back to what you’re working on refreshed and invigorated.
“Branson never set out to be rich or a CEO, and by not aiming
Breathe in some fresh air, sip some cold water and come back
there – following his passions and aiming to have lots of fun
to what you need to get done with a clear head and renewed
along the way, instead – he became incredibly rich and redefined
enthusiasm.
what being an executive could mean. Almost all of his
■ If at all possible, spend a few minutes each day standing in the businesses have seemed foolhardy to the experts, and
sunshine and recharging your batteries. sometimes those experts have been right, but he’s relaxed about
■ Come up with a list of things you can and should do each day that too, saying, ‘If something fails, as long as we bow out
to keep you focused. These will be simple actions which have gracefully and pay off all our debts, and nobody gets hurt, then I
meaning for you, for example: don’t think people disrespect Virgin for trying’. I can’t think of any
• Look into the eyes of a child. other senior executive who has more fun. He aims not to own
• Stop at a local church or temple to pray. expensive art collections, a fleet of luxury cars, or a fancy
■ Guide the energy of your emotions and channel them golf-club membership, but rather at shaping a life that fits his
relentlessly towards the positive. Visualize what you want to passions, stretches his capabilities, incorporate his family, and
achieve and then work to make it happen. gives him chances to do nothing.”
– Robert Cooper
 Get Out Of Your Own Way - Page 8

The 5 Keys 5 IMPACT – not Intentions Always remember whatever you measure counts.

Intentions are fine but in the final analysis, what counts is the In order for you to find out definitively what works and what does
measurable difference you make in living your values. not in your own life, you need measurements which will reflect
whatever progress is achieved. Good measurements overcome
brain ruts and allow you to speed up your progress towards your
Most people have lofty aspirations, well-meaning promises and open-space goals and targets. The right measures will also
good intentions about what they hope to achieve in the future. serve as an early-warning system allowing you to identify what’s
That’s great, but the time to turn those wishes into reality is in the not working quickly so you can head off in a better direction.
here and now. Until you act to turn those aspirations into realities,
your intentions are just passing thoughts. You have to focus on An effective measurement system:
your impact, not just your intentions. ■ W ill involve hourly measurements which are then
Get into the habit of tracking how much impact you are summarized daily and weekly. Anything less frequent
generating. Ground your efforts in something that really matters becomes too far away and you will procrastinate it.
to you and track your progress in writing. The simple act of ■ Defines in some detail the types of changes you need to
documenting your actual results means you will be more likely to achieve your open-space goals.
make greater progress in the future. Give your mind feedback on ■ Allows you to start each day by glancing at your measures so
the concrete results you’re creating and of which you are proud you know where you are at present.
and your mind will go to work trying to do the things which will
■ Incorporates a daily review session where you can assess
generate substantially more praise in the future.
what worked that day and what did not.
“It is what we think we know that prevents us from learning ■ Also includes a weekly review session where you summarize
something new.” progress. This session may be held in association with a
– Claude Bernard friend or mentor who can track your progress and make
suggestions.
“Wisdom is knowing what to do; virtue is doing it.”
– David Starr Jordan ■ Tracks moment-by-moment changes.

Learn how to make change stick. Always stay close to your soul.

It’s very easy to get so caught up in the mechanics of earning a

The human brain typically resists change. This fact is so well
living and working your job that you can lose sight of why you’re
known it has generated loads of myths about change, including
doing those things in the first place. Whenever that happen, you
the commonly held beliefs which are actually false:
have to reconnect with your soul. No matter what else happens
• Small changes are easier to make than dramatic big changes.
in your life, you are unique, and there will never be another
• Only fear can successfully motivate a lasting change.
person in the entire history of the earth who will have the same
• A looming crisis motivates change.
combination of talents, passions, interests, goals and
• Giving people facts about situations motivates change.
personality as you. Therefore, you need to be fully aware of the
• Rewards motivate change.
unique contribution only you can make.
• Learning how to manage change encourages change.
• Having a “just do it” mind-set motivates change. In reality, everyone wants to make a difference in the world and
• Having a backup plan motivates change. not just a living. To check how well you’re doing thus far, ponder
four questions from time to time:
The best tools for successfully making a change are:
1. “In what specific ways have you influenced your family to be
■ Imagine the best outcome in advance – the vivid and alluring
better than they would have been if you were not around”?
flow-on benefits which will result from making a change.
2. “In what specific ways have you done something to influence
■ Get your mind engaged – by making big and dramatic
the school you attend or which your children attend to do a
changes rather than incremental improvements. Create
better job of helping their students realize their heartfelt
some emotional benefits of changing so your brain signs on to
goals”?
the new initiative rather than seeking ways to sabotage your
attempt to change. 3. “In what specific ways have you influenced the organization
you work for to be better because you work there”?
■ Team up – announce your intention to change to other people
and enlist their help. Ideally, find someone who can help you 4. “In what specific ways have you influenced the community
make the intended change and ask for their help and advice. you live in to become better compared to what it would be like
The involvement of other people will help make your change if your family lived somewhere else”?
program become permanent.
“The five keys are a place to begin your own explorations. Take
■ Stay “hot” and “cool” at the same time – meaning make the tools that work for you, use them to shape every moment into
changes which capture your heart and fire your enthusiasm something better, and let go of the rest. Let others lead small
for life but don’t stress about what the change will mean at a lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you.
personal level. Feel confident you will be able to adapt as you Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their
change for the better. future in someone else’s hands, but not you.”
– Robert Cooper